Compound bows are widely used by archers. The popularity of the compound bow is mainly due to the advantage provided in the reduced pull force required at full draw together with the resulting increase in accuracy. The pull on the bow string is high at the beginning of the draw but the archer at this point is able to exert maximum force. As the draw progresses a little beyond mid-point, there is an over-center action on eccentrically mounted pulleys or cams of the compound bow which decreases the draw force needed to maintain the bow string in the drawn position while maximizing the energy stored in the limbs of the bow. Thus, at full draw it is relatively easy to hold the arrow and bow string and much easier to perfect aiming technique and proper release resulting in increased accuracy.
A typical compound bow includes one or more eccentrically mounted pulleys or cams pivotably attached relative the bow limbs and serving to support and control the movement of a bow string. The cam, in turn, is often connected to a tension cable. The stringing or tuning of a twin cam bow, with its eccentrically mounted pulleys, tension cable and bow string is very critical in order to achieve a proper balance or synchronization of the eccentrically mounted pulleys or cams. The complexity of the stringing and the sensitivity to proper tuning of the bow, makes it undesirable to unstring the bow when it is not in use. It is also a major project, and in some cases impossible, to string and tune such a bow without the aid of an apparatus commonly known as a bow press.
Because a compound bow cannot be conveniently unstrung and restrung, they are virtually always left in a strung condition. However periodic retuning of compound bows is often required to maintain desired performance levels, and to change, replace or repair components of the compound bow, such as the bow string, string sights, dampers, the tension cable, the cams and other components.
Through the years a number of bow presses have been developed for facilitating stringing, tuning, and maintenance of compound bows. In general, these presses have included a stationary base having a pair of spaced apart inside surface supports, in the form of pegs or rollers, for contacting the inside of the bow, and a pair of limb supports, in the form of pegs or rollers, attached to a movable mechanism for applying a bending force the limbs of the bow. Several problems have been noted with regard to prior bow presses, however.
Prior bow presses can damage the bow, particularly when operated by inexperienced personnel. It is very important that the inside surface support and the limb supports of the bow press be precisely positioned in such a manner that the bow is properly loaded into the press in such a manner that the limbs are bent in a way that will not overstress or otherwise damage the bow. Because compound bows vary dimensionally, from one model or manufacturer to another, it is necessary that the inside surface support and the limb supports on the bow press be adjustable. In the past, it has been customary to provide incremental holes in the bow press so that the position of the inside surface support and the limb supports, or other components of the bow press, could be moved to achieve a best fit with regard to a given bow. The incremental nature of this adjustment approach often results in a fit of the bow press to the bow which is not quite ideal, and can result in damage to the bow. This is especially problematic where personnel operating the bow press lack experience and knowledge.
It is also generally necessary that the bow press be adjusted in a manner that results in a symmetrical positioning of the inside surface supports and the limb supports with respect to the center of the bow handle. Prior bow presses do not provide a convenient means of achieving this symmetry.
Prior bow presses are also not easy to adjust, in that the incrementally movable components are typically bolted to the bow press, thereby requiring the use of wrenches or other tools for making the necessary adjustments.
The limbs of the bow can also be damaged, even when the bow press is properly adjusted, by prior bow presses which use limb supports that must slide or roll along the limb as it is bent in the bow press. Such rolling or sliding supports can cause marring and other physical damage to the limbs.
In some prior bow presses, it is also possible, under some conditions, for the limb supports to be moved to a position along the limbs where the bow will become locked into the bow press. This typically results in significant damage to the bow, and can create a potentially hazardous condition for personnel operating the bow press, as they attempt to remove the bow from the press. In such situations, it may even be necessary to partly disassemble the bow press to get the bow out of the press. The bow limbs will have considerable energy stored in them, which could cause them to spring outward dangerously when parts of bow press are removed to release the bow from the press.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide an improved bow press apparatus and method which overcomes one or more of the problems described above, or other problems and shortcomings of prior bow presses.